Gauge for counting typewritten characters



Nov. 9, 1937.

H. L. WADSWORTH GAUGE FOR COUNTING TYPEWRITTEN CHARACTERS Filed May 27',1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 12 5 5 60, 35 /r1O 2'0 30 40 50 60 70 60 90 100110 120 130 140 150 160 170 a; 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 160195 210 225 240 255 I 26 40 60 60 100 120 140 160 160 200 220 240 260260 300 320 340 5\ 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350375 400 425 30 60 90 120 150 160 210 240 270 300 330 WWWWQTET 35 70 105140 175 210 245 260 315 350 365 420 455 490 525 560 595 '20 200 300 400500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 f 210 315420 WW 735 640 945 1050 WWWW 1575 1660 765 220 330 440 550 660 770 630990 1100 1210 1320 1430 1540 1650 1760 1670 4 230 345 460 575 690 605920 1035 1150 1265 1360 1495 1610 1725 1640 1955 240 360 460 600 720 640960 1060 1200 1320 1440 1560 1660 1600 1920 2040 25 j .250 375 500 625750 675 1000 1125 1250 1375 1500 1625 1750 1675 2000 2125 WWsTW 760 9101040 1170 1300 1430 WWWWWW 270 405 540 675 610 945 1060 1215 1350 14651620 1755 1690 '2025 2160 2295 260 420 560 700 640 960 1120 1260 14001540 1660 1620 1960 2100 2240 2360 290 435 560 725 670 1015 1160 13051450 1595 1740 1665 2030 2175 2320 2465 30 300 450 600 750 300 1050 12001350 1500 1650 1600 1950 2100 2250 2400 2550 310 465 620 775 930 10651240 1395 1550 1705 1660 2015 2170 2325 WW 320 460 640 600 960 1120 12601440 1600 1760 1920 2060 2240 2400 2560 2720 330 495 660 625 990 11551320 1465 1650 1615 1960 2145 2310 2475 2640 2605 340 510 660 650 10201190 1360 1530 1700 1670 2040 2210 2360 2550 2720 2690 35 350 525 700675 1050 1225 1400 1575 1750 1925 2100 2275 2450 2625 2600 2975 160 360540 720 900 1060 1260 1440 1620 1600 1960 2160 2340 2520 2700 2660 T 50165 370 555 740 925 1110 1295 1460 1665 1650 2035 2220 2405 2590 27752960 3145 6 360 570 760 950 1140 1330 1520 1710 1900 2090 2260 2470 26602650 3040 3230 j 390 565 760 975 1170 1365 1560 1755 1950 2145 2340 25352730 2925 3120 3315 40 200 400 600 600 1000 1200 1400 1600 1600 20002200 2400 2600 2600 3000 3200 3400 205 410 615 620 1025 1230 1435 16401645 2050 WWW 2670 3075 3260 W 210 420 630 640 1050 1260 1470 1660 16902100 2310 2520 2730 2940 3150 3360 3570 I3 215 430 645 660 1075 12901505 1720 1935 2150 2365 2560 2795 3010 3225 3440 3655 L 220 440 660 6601100 1320 1540 1760 1960 2200 2420 2640 2660 3060 3300 3520 3740 4 225450 675 900 1125 1350 1575 1600 2025 2250 2475 2700 2925 3150 3375 36003625 230 460 W920 1150 1360 1610 1640 2070 2300 25%2760 2990 3220 34503660 391 0 2 235 470 705 940 1175 1410 1645 1660 2115 2350 2565 26203055 3290 3525 3760 3995 4 240 460 720 960 1200 1440 1660 1920 2160 24002640 2660 3120 3360 3600 3640 4060 245 490 735 960 1225 1470 1715 19 02205 2450 2695 2940 3165 3430 3675 3920 4165 50 a 250 500 750 1000 12501500 1750 2000 2250 2500 2750 3000 3250 3500 3750 4000 4250 255 510 7651020 1275 1530 1765 2040 2295 2550 2605 3060 3315 3570 3625 4060 260 529760 1040 1300 1560 1620 2060 2340 2600 2660 3120 3360 3640 3900 41604420 265 530 795 1060 1325 1590 1655 2120 2365 2650 2915 3160 3445 37103975 4240 4505 270 540 810 1060 1350 1620 1690 2160 2430 2700 2970 32403510 3780 4050 4320 4590 55 275 550 625 1100 1375 1650 1925 2200 24752750 3025 3300 3575 3650 4125 4400 4075 W 640 1120 1400 1660 1960 22402520 2600 3060 3360 3640 3920 4200 4460 EH) 265 570 655 1140 1425 17101995 2260 2565 2650 3135 3420 3705 3990 4275 4560 4645 290 560 870 11601450 1740 2030 2320 2610 2900 3190 3460 3770 4060 4350 4640 4930 295 590665 1160 1475 1770 2065 2360 2655 2950 3245 3540 3635 4130 4425 47205015 60 300 600 f 900 1200 1500 1802 2100 2 00 2 00 3000 3300 3600 39004200 4500 4600 5100 I] \i K NVE TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 9,, 1937.

H. L. WADSWORTH GAUGE FOR COUNTING TYPEWRITTEN CHARACTERS Filed May 27,19:55 2 Sheet s-Sheet'2 \ArM ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 PATENT @FFECE GAUGE FOR COUNTING. TYPEWRITTENCHARACTERS Harry L. Wadsworth, Los Angeles, Calif- ApplicationMay 2'7,1935, Serial No. 23,728

2 Claims.

This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of animproved form of gauge of transparent character adapted to be superposedon a. sheet of typewritten manuscript in such a manner that an accurateand rapid totalization of the number of characters on a page ofmanuscript may be made for the purpose of determining the number oflines and the total space which a given manuscript will require whencomposed and set up in the same or a different type.

To this end the gauge is preferably formed of a sheet of non-combustibletransparent material of rectangular form slightly larger than a sheet ofmanuscript and is provided with coordinal rulings vertically andhorizontally which are preferably spaced apart respectively, tocorrespond to groups of five lines and groups of five characters, withmarginal numerals representing the numbers of the lines on a page andnumbers of characters in a line. Horizontal rows and vertical columns ofnumerals are provided adjacent the coordinal rulings for indicating thetotal numbers of characters in each line and in any number of lines on apage in multiples of five.

For convenience, I provide on the gauge a supplemental and auxiliaryschedule of characters, in numerals arranged in a manner similar tothese on the body of the gauge and including character totals fornumbers of characters intermediate the multiples of five in a line ire.one,

two, three and four, and for the total number of lines on a page. Thus,the total number of characters on a page may be determined by adding thetotal ascertained from the main schedule and the total ascertained fromthe auxiliary schedule.

The gauge is also provided with a marginal ruling vertically formed atthe left hand side of the main schedule of characters and adapted to bepositioned between the first and second characters in each of the lines,and a horizontal ruling adapted to be positioned just below the top lineof characters on a manuscript page.

By reference to characters it must be understood that I mean the actualcharacters including letters, numerals and punctuation marks togetherwith the spaces between words, the total of all of which will be hereinreferred to as the total number of characters in a line. Usuallytypewritten manuscripts are printed in one of three different forms:pica type with pica line spacing, elite type with elite line spacing,and elite type with pica line spacing. Hence, a separate gauge isrequired for each of the three forms of manuscript copy, the onlydifferences in the several forms consisting of diiferently spacedholiizontal and vertical rulings and character totals per line or lines.

A more detailed understanding of the invention may be had from thedrawings hereto appended in which one form of gauge is shown and inwhich:

Fig. 1 shows a full size gauge partly broken away at the left hand sideand omitting the auxiliary schedule of characters and showing a completemain schedule of characters for elite type with pica line spacing;

Fig. 2 is a view of the portion of the gauge omitted from Fig. 1 andshowing the auxiliary schedule of characters arranged at the left of themain character schedule;

Fig. 3 is a view of the complete gauge on a reduced scale and with thecharacter schedules omitted but showing the coordinal rulings;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a manuscript and a gauge superposedthereon in position for making a count of the characters in amanuscript.

The gauge is preferably made of a non-combustible, flexible andtransparent sheet I of material on which I provide a main table 2 and anauxiliary table 3 of character totals, the totals shown in table 2 beingarranged by lines in multiples of five only while the totals in table 3are arranged by lines in multiples of one, two, three and four. Thus, byadding the totals obtained in multiples of live to those obtained inmultiples of one, two, three or four, as the case may be, the finaltotal of characters on a page is ascertained, as hereinafter described.

The tables 2 and 3 may be arranged for any given number of lines perpage, but in the form shown said tables are arranged to indicate thetotals for sixty lines to a page; and said table 2 may vary in thenumber of characters per line, depending upon which of the type stylesis used in a particular case.

Horizontal rulings 4, 4, etc., are provided at regularly spaceddistances apart to correspond exactly to the particular line spacingused in a manuscript M, and vertical rulings 5 are provided which arealso regularly spaced to correspond to the spaces required for fivecharacters of a particular type used. At the left hand margin of thetable 2 I provide a vertical line 6, as a guide, which is spaced to theleft from the nearest of the lines 5 to correspond to the space requiredfor four characters, so that said line may be positioned between thefirst and second characters of each line on the manuscript, as shown inFig. 4. A horizontal guide line l joins with the upper end of line 6 andis adapted to be positioned immediately below the firstline ofcharacters on a manuscript, as shown in Fig. 4. Preferably, the lines 6and I are heavier than the lines 4 and 5 for more readily than otherwiseposi tioning the gauge in character counting position on a manuscript,and said lines 6 and 1 may be formed in red ink if desirable.

The main table of character totals is formed in horizontal rows or lines8v and vertical columns 9 with the totals, as hereinbefore mentioned,shown in'multiples of five only. The auxiliary table 3 is arranged withhorizontal rows l0 and columns H corresponding and supplementary to thetable 2, and having the same number of horiz ontal rows as table 2 butonly four vertical columns of totals. The auxiliary table, however, isnot arranged in alinement with the rows of total on table 2.

In use, the gauge is positioned over a manuscript sheet or page with thevertical guide line 6 disposed between thefirst and second char actersof each line of typing on the manuscript and the horizontal guide line 1disposed below the first line of typing thereon, as shown in Fig. 4.Usually the length of the lines in a manuscript is fairly uniform, butany difference in line length may be compensated for by firstascertaining the number of characters in the shortest line of themanuscript and then ascertaining the number of characters in the longestline and averaging the two results as a guide to the count to bemade.For instance, assuming that the shortest line is indicated onthe gaugeas 67 characters in length and the longest line is 73 characters inlength,'the average, length of line in the manuscript would be .70characters in length, as indicated by the character scale l2 at the topof the table 2. Hence, if the number of lines of characters on themanuscript were 45 as indicated at the left hand side of the table 2 bythe line scale l3 the total number of characters on that page of amanuscript would be found in the 70 column just above the 45 line 4 intable 2 which is ascertained to be "3150, by reference to the table inFig; 1; In such case'if the number of lines on the manuscript should be53 the total'characters would be 3710 which total will be found in thetable 2 just above line 4 on the fifty-third line of the table and inthe 70 column of totals. i

In the above mentioned case, if the average number of characters in aline should be found not to be a multiple of five but an intermediatenumber between one of the numbered columns of totals and a preceding orsucceeding column, the exact total can be ascertained only by firstobtaining the total from table 2 in the column 9 which is the nextlowest multiple of five shown in the table, and then'by reference totable'3 obtaining the total from the column H indicated by the digitcorresponding to tween the nextlowest'multiple of five and the averagecharacter count in a line, and obtaining the total shown on the linefrom which the total was taken in table 2.

Assmning that the average number'of characters in a line of manuscriptshould be found to be 67, as hereinbefore described, and the number oflines of characters is fifty, the next lowest multiple of five would be65 and the total number of characters in fifty lines of averagecharacter length of sixty five is ascertained in table 2 to be 3250.Then, there being "two characters per line in excess of the multiplesixty-five, by reference to table 3, it will be ascertained tha thedifference bethe 2 column shows a total for fifty lines of Thus, byadding the 3250 and the 100 so obtained, the final total is found to be"3350.

It will be understood, of course, that in type composition, the numberof characters is the most important factor and in order to predeterminethe amount of space required to print a given manuscript it is necessaryto first ascertain the space required. Space for given copy of coursedepends upon the styleof type used and the line spacing. There are buttwo styles of typewriter type in general use, namely, pica and elite,but pica line spacing is frequently used with elite type. i

The number of characters in a manuscript, regardless of the type styleand the line spacing, having been ascertained, the conversion of themanuscript from one to another type style is readily accomplished and acomposer is certain of the amount of space required for the subjectmatter of the manuscript.

Each page of a manuscript is separately measured'for counting the totalnumber of characters thereon and the total is written on the page, andupon completion of the count for all pages a grand total is obtained byadding the subtotals onthe several pages. Due allowance may be made inthe count for spaces between paragraphs. For instance, if the gaugeindicates fifty lines of characters whereas seven lines of charactershave for some reason been omitted the 7 is deducted from50, leaving abalance of 43 which is the actual number of lines and the total for thepage would be ascertained by reference to the row of totals on lineforty three in the particular vertical column which represents thenearest multiple of five to the average number of characters per line.Similar allowance may be made for double and triple spacing ofcharacters on a manuscript.

Each sheet of manuscript is regarded as a separate unit in typecomposition as each may have its own characteristics and peculiarities,different spacing, etc. Long hand interlineations may or may not vitallyaffect the character count; but if too frequent and extensive, allowancemay be made therefor, as well as for paragraph indentions and paragraphendings, where the omitted characters in lines are substantial in numberand too frequent.

I conceive it to be possible to modify my improved gauge, within thescope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1; A gauge for counting typewritten characters comprising: a sheet oftransparent material having tabularly arranged totals thereon inhorizontal rows spaced to correspond to a predetermined number 'ofcharacters in a line and in vertical columns spaced to correspond to theline spacing of a selected style of type and adapted to be superposed ona sheet of manuscript so that the printed characters on the manuscriptto' position the sheet for use, one of said guide lines being spaced tothe left of the adjacent vertical column and adapted by reason of thetransparency of the sheet to be placed between the first and secondcharacters on each line of manuscript over which the sheet is placed andthe other guide line being disposed to be placed below the first line ofcharacters of said manuscript.

2. A gauge for counting typewritten characters comprising: a sheet oftransparent material provided with parallel horizontal and verticalrulings spaced apart horizontally to correspond to a predeterminednumber of character positions of a selected style of type and spacedvertically to correspond to a predetermined number of lines ofcharacters, said horizontal rulings being spaced vertically so as toregularly group character totals arranged in horizontal rowsintermediate said horizontal rulings and in vertical columnsintermediate said vertical rulings, said gauge being adapted to besuperposed on a sheet of manuscript with said rows of totals inregistration with the lines of characters on the manuscript and saidcolumns of totals in registration with predetermined character positionsin the lines of the manuscript, for indicating the totals of charactersat successive points, and marginal rulings at one side and at the top ofthe gauge for registration with predetermined lines of characters andcharacters in the lines for positioning the gauge on the manuscript,said marginal rulings being respectively positioned so that when thesheet is placed over manuscript said rulings will lie between the firstand second characters of each line of script and beneath the first lineof characters, respectively.

HARRY L. WADSWORTH.

